Soil-Surface Pheromone Dispenser for Beet Armyworm Control

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Solution Overview

Problem

The control of beet armyworms is challenging due to their resistance to general drugs and the difficulty in accessing larvae hidden in cylindrical leaf spaces, making traditional pheromone-based control methods inconvenient and costly, especially as field areas increase.

Innovation Solution

Placing pheromone preparations containing sex pheromone substances like (Z,E)-9,12-tetradecadienyl acetate and (Z)-9-tetradecenol on the soil surface or a material covering it, allowing the substances to permeate and release into the field, eliminating the need to consider plant height and ecology.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If a pheromone preparation is placed above the soil surface (e.g., 1.5 m height), then the beet armyworm can be effectively controlled by releasing pheromone into the air, but the installation becomes inconvenient and costly as field area increases due to requiring props and equipment

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecontrol effectivenessVSAvoidinstallation convenience
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The patent inverts the conventional approach by placing the pheromone preparation on the soil surface instead of above it. The pheromone substance permeates from the preparation through the soil surface to release into the field, eliminating the need for props and complex installation equipment while maintaining control effectiveness

Inventive Principle:
Principle #13The other way round (Inversion)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent extracts the pheromone substance from the preparation and allows it to permeate through the soil surface directly. This separation enables the preparation to remain on the ground while the active substance is released into the field above, combining installation simplicity with effective pheromone distribution

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

2Reliability

If a pheromone preparation is placed above the soil surface, then the pheromone can be released into the air where beet armyworms fly, but the installation cost and complexity increase due to needing props and mounting equipment

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvepheromone release effectivenessVSAvoidinstallation equipment requirement
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

Instead of releasing pheromone from above into the air, the patent releases pheromone from below through the soil surface. The preparation sits directly on the ground and allows pheromone to permeate upward into the field, eliminating all mounting equipment and props while achieving effective pheromone distribution

Inventive Principle:
Principle #13The other way round (Inversion)

Solution Approach 2:

The soil surface acts as an intermediary medium through which the pheromone substance permeates. Rather than direct air release requiring props, the soil surface facilitates pheromone transfer from the ground-level preparation to the air above, simplifying the entire installation system

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

This method efficiently and economically controls beet armyworms without regard for their ecology, effectively suppressing the emergence of the next generation, with pheromone residues remaining effective for several months and allowing for uniform concentration release across the field.

Implementation Method 1

installing at least one pheromone preparation comprising a pheromone substance for the beet armyworm and a container containing the pheromone substance therein and allowing the pheromone substance to permeate therethrough

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectPermeation: Permeation

Implementation Method 2

release the pheromone substance into the field

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectDiffusion: Diffusion

Data Source

PatentEP3815530B1Method for controlling beet armyworm
Publication Date: 2024.01.17 SHIN ETSU CHEMICAL CO LTD

AI summary

There is provided a method for controlling a beet armyworm without considering the height of a plant body and the ecology of the beet armyworm. More specifically, there is provided a method for controlling a beet armyworm, the method including a step of installing at least one pheromone preparation comprising a pheromone substance and a container containing the pheromone substance therein and allowing the pheromone substance to permeate therethrough, on a soil surface and/or a surface of a material covering the soil surface in a field to release the pheromone substance into the field.